Blast release detent



Aug. 26, 1958 D. w. Hoon i BLAST RELEASE DETENT Filed May 51. 1955 DELOS W. HOOD,

INVENTOR.

Huebner, Beehler, Worrel 8 Herzig.

ATTORNEYS. B :Z

y @www United rates arent O BLAST RELEASE DETENI Delos W. Hood, Sherman Oaks, Calif., assgnor, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Application May s1, 195s, serial No. 512,191

3 Claims. (Cl. {S9-1.7)

The invention relates t rocket launchers .and .has 1I- ticular reference to a detent or clip by means of w ',ch rockets are retained in tubes in a launcher the rocket is ready to be red or until for some reason it be advisable to unload the unled rockets. The invention is an improvement over certain forms of copending application Serial No.423-,6l48, liled ,April 16, 1954.

With the advent of rockets adapted to be carried red from airplanes has come the development of a variety of dierent. kinds of rocket launchers. The mQSt general characteristic of such launchers iS that of a casing so constructed that it .is capable of containing 1 number of ,rockets in parallel grouping, the casing as .a rule $29.11- taining certain mechanism adapted 1h@ firing Cf lh@ rockets in fa predetermined and desired order.- Laliuchels of this kind have necessitated provision of clips whereby .rockets could be held safely and securely ,in :the launcher until the time arrives lfor their release. 'inasmuch as rockets carry explosive charges, considerable care has been exercised in Vanchoring in eect the rockets jin the launchers so that they cannot become ,inadvertently loosened until a proper time but the Isaine care A`is also needed to provide a mechanism acting withka satisfactory degree of certainty to positively release the rocket when the time comes for firing. Because of these demands somewhat complex detents have been resorted to whichby reason of their .lack of wSimplicity have .defeated some of the primary airms in that they are -not sure of release under allI circumstances and furthermore are such that rockets once loaded can be unloaded only with diiculty. Rockets carried vbyvpermanen-t or non-disposable launchers ,have been those chiey equipped with detents'having ythe v undesirable characteristics.

" 1t is therefore among the objects of the invention to provide Ia new and 'improved detent for rocket ,launchers which is vpositive in its action both rwith respect :to *holding rockets in place in the tubes'providedjfor' them until 'the time comes for launching and alsobeing positive acting when the rocketisto bereleased Another object ofthe invention 'is Ato'providea new improved detent for rockets lheld in tubes ign a rocket launcher which is suliiciently 'sensitive to -re'leasegat the time of ring'to make vcert-ain that a Vrocket-u /ill-be released from the tube once it has been -red.

yStill another object of the invention fis )to provide na A'new and improvedpre'leasable ycletent'forjl'tolrling'rockets in ltubes in `a launcher `whic'hpermits the rockets to :be easily loaded and engagedwith the Vdetentandwhich isesvpec'ially adapted `sfor from loading, ,the detent :furthermore being so constructed that the rocketcan 'be easily unloaded by vhand when the launcher needs to Vbe disarmed without requiring acessto ,the detent.

another ,object of the'inventionjis,toproyide anew and improved rocket launcher detent which while -pro- 'viding apositivegrip on the rocketvfor-transportation Purposes and a positive release for the rocketvuppn'the auc'ket *bein-g ired is "moreover so designed-that tas the j 2,848,925 Patented Aug. 26, 1958 rocket leaves the launching tube there will be no inadvertent -scoring of the exterior surface of the rocket whether the rocket leaves upon being fired or whether it is removed by hand..

Also among the objects of the invention is to provide a new and improved detent clip for rocket launchers which is simple and inexpensive in construction and which iS so designed that it can be easily mounted in a tube QQQllpying a relatively minimum amount .of space and which lneeds no special construction of the tube to be operable, the .Clips being such that they are Well adapted to use in launchers having a multiple number of tubes.

Further included among the objects o f the invention is t9 Provide e new and improved detent ,clip for rocket l-aunchers which can be passed by a rocket whether during .loading or during the tiring of ,o .Second ,rocket ,in line', the slip .being of'sueh design and construction that ,it will hold the .rocket until either released by o blast or by reason of the feet that ,there is suiiieient thrust .in a roeket to Overcome the detent.

With .these and other obieots in View, the .invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts `of the device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter s'et forth, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated bin the accompanying ,drawings 1n the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevational View partially broken away illustrating a launcher provided with ja plurality of tubes with rockets in place therein and showing ythe 'location of the releasablevdetent.

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal `sectional view ,of one o f the-tubes showingtjheilcation and arrangement of the detent-'in engagement with a rocket. Y

fF-igure 3 is a'fragmentary aft end perspective view broken away `to a degree in order to show the location of -t-he clip in a'tube.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view-*taken on the line 4 4 of 'Figure 2 Yshowing engagement of the rocket ywith the detent immediately prior to rotation for vmanual release.

Figure l5 is a cross-sectional view-taken on thelineS--S of Figure v2.

Figure 6 4is a longitudinal perspective viewofthe detent tclip.

In an ,embodiment chosen to illustrate the invention fthereis-shown afrocket launcher for a plurality of`rockets :comprising a'housing '10fhaving-a forward fairng 1-1 and an .aft1fairing 112. `The housing may be of light-weight yconstruction with fairings of frangible material adapted to be ruptured when the rockets are tired. In the housing y-isaserieS-Of rocket holding-tubes 13, 14,15, etc., of some light-weight material, anchored in suitable Aposition by `.spaceriblocks 16 and 17, details `of whichare disclosedin connection with copending application Serial lNo. 423,618, s-led April 16, 1954. i 4

Rockets 18 are identical in shape and 4for-m and are Aprovided with tail iin vbrackets 19 arranged in pairs with a tail iin 20 pivotally mounted between each pair of lbrackets. In the `specific vembodiment -shown four tail =ns are-,provided equally spaced about the circumference sof an attend 21 of the rocket,rocketexhaust tubes 22 being located between adjacent tailpns.

-Also 4on 4the-aft end of the rocket is la retaining flange 23. lBet'ween the retaining flange -and themain body'of Athe rocket-is `an -annular groove 24.

'The detent comprises chiefly Aa -strip 30 of resilient -or 1spring metal having an anchoring end 31 provided 4with screw holes. In the embodiment Vselected the `anchoring end 31 yis whatmay be designated as-the forward end of the clip. At the aft end ofthestrip is a p air of -iflanges 33, 34, `these anges being located one on each side of the strip. Each ilange has a forwardly obliquely extending loading cam 35, there being provided on a top edge 36 a notch 37. The notch 37 is of special construction in that each notch is provided with an inwardly extending point 38. One of the flanges 33 has extending along its upper edge an extension directed obliquely inwardly and providing an unloading cam 39. At the aft-most end of the strip is a blast operated member 40 extending radially inwardly toward the axis of the tube with respect to the main portion of the strip 30. Flanges 41 at the sides of the member render the member firmer when subjected to an operating blast.

It will be noted that the space block 16 to which the strip is anchored by means of screws 42 is provided with a recess 43 directly beneath the wings 33, as illustrated in Figure 2. It will be clear that the recess 43 is adapted to receive the Iaft end of the strip which is of resilient or springy material when the aft end is sprung outwardly relative to the axis of the tube. One clip is provided for each tube. i

Whenrockets 18 are to be loaded into the tubes, the tail iins are folded and the rockets loaded backwards into the tubes from the fore ends. The rocket is moved rearwardly into the tube until the rear side of the retaining llange 23 strikes the loading cam 35, thereby tending to deflect the aft end of the strip outwardly into the recess 43 a distance sucient to permit the retaining flange to pass over the loading cam whereupon the spring tension in the strip flips the aft end of the strip inwardly toward the axis of the tube and the rocket to engage the retaining ange in the notch 37. It will be noted also that the point 38.at the bottom of the notch will tend to strike into the exterior surface of the retaining flange, thereby to insure a rm and positive electric contact.

Should it be desired to unload the rockets without their being fired, it is necessary only to rotate the rocket 18 in a direction counterclockwise as viewed in Figure 4 whereupon one of the tail iin brackets striking the unloading cam 39 deflects the aft end of the strip a distance sufficient to release the retaining ange 23 from engagement in the notch 37 whereupon the rocket can be pulled forward out of the tube.

In the event the rocket is to be fired after being positioned and engaged by the detent, the rocket is tired by some conventional means. Upon firing the exhaust tubes permit passage outwardly of expanding hot gases within the rocket at a very substantial rate of flow. When the exhausting gases strike the member 40, they strike with sulTicient force to cause the aft end of the detent to be tilted outwardly falling into the recess 43. The tilt will be sufliciently far to relieve the engagement of the walls of the notches 37 with the retaining llange, at which point the rocket will be driven forward by its force and thereby ired from the tube.

The strip being very small can be easily mounted between the exterior of each of the tubes 13 and the adjacent spacer block 16. lt does not matter on which side the detent clip might be located, the paddle being tilted in such direction and at such angle that it will always fall within the exhaust stream from one of the exhaust tubes 22. The notch moreover is made deep enough and spring tension of the clip made strong enough to securely hold the tube in place during shipment of rockets in the launcher, during maneuvering of the airplane, and at all times except `when either the rocket is to be red or the rocket is to be removed manually.

It will be noted further that the recess 43 has substantial depth and that because of the depth the detent can be depressed well into the recess to permit a second rocket to pass the detent, with the same facility that the initial rocket can be loaded and secured by the detent. When a rocket launching tube is made double the length sufficient to hold two rockets in alignment, the detent is of such construction that a second rocket can depress the detent and be fired through the same tube as the rst rocket.

The detent moreover is of such construction that in the event the member 40 might be broken olf or` in the event it might not receive suiicient pressure of exhausting gases, the portion of the detent which holds the retaining ilange 23 of the rocket is so constructed that it will give way and permit the rocket to be released in any event.

There has accordingly been described herein a rocket launcher retaining clip which is, in being constructed of a single strip of spring-like metal, reduced substantially to elementary principles with the structure so arranged that a positive grip is had upon the rocket except on those occasions where the rocket is to be removed from the tube in the launcher either for tiring or by hand.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in what I have conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of my invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new -and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a rocket launcher comprising a casing and a tube in the casing adapted to contain a rocket having tail elements and a retaining flange at the aft end, the combination of a rocket detent for the tube comprising a strip of spring material secured to the aft end of the tube at a location outside the inner surface of the tube with the aft end of the strip spring biased inwardly, a ilange at the aft end of the strip extending generally inwardly toward the axis of the tube to a location inwardly of said inner surface and having an obliquely forwardly and outwardly extending lo-ading cam, said ange having a notch at the innermost edge for receiving a rocket retaining flange, an extension on the strip aft of the notch extending in a lateral oblique direction and forming a tail element engaging unloading cam subject to depression by manual rotation of the rocket and a tail element thereon, said strip having a member extending obliquely inwardly and rearwardly to a location adapted to receive blast from an ignited rocket whereby to release the detent from rocket retaining ange engaging position.

2. A detent device for use with a rocket launcher comprising a casing and a plurality of tubes in the casing each adapted to contain a rocket having tail elements and a retaining flange at the aft end, said detent device comprising a strip of spring material secured to the aft end of the tube at a location outside the inner surface of the tube with the aft end of the strip spring biased inwardly, flanges at the aft end of the strip, each flange extending inwardly towardv the axis of the tube to a location inwardly of said inner surface, said flanges being positioned one on each side of the strip and having a rocket retaining flange receiving notch at the innermost edge, an extension on one of said -anges having a laterally oblique extension aft of the notch forming a tail element engaging unloading cam, said strip having a member extending obliquely inwardly and rearwardly to a location adapted to receive blast from an ignited rocket whereby to release the detent from rocket retaining ange engaging position.

3. A detent device adapted for use with a rocket launcher comprising a casing, a plurality of parallel tubes in the casing each adapted to contain a rocket having tail elements and a retaining flange at the aft end, and blocks between said tubes for spacing the tubes in the casing, said detent device comprising a strip of resilient spring metal secured to one of the blocks and adjacent the aft end of the tube at a location outside the inner surface of the tube with the aft end of the strip spring biased inwardly, anges at the aft end of the strip, each ange extending generally inwardly toward the axis of the tube to: a location inwardly of said inner surface and having 6 an obliquely forwardly and outwardly extending loading having inwardly extending points at the bottoms thereof cam, said flanges being positioned one on each side of adapted to make electric contact with the rocket. the strip and having a ange-receiving notch at the innermost edge, one of said flanges having an extension aft References Cited in the me of this patent of the notch extending in a laterally inward oblique direc- 5 tion forming a tail element engaging unloading cam, UNITED STATES PATENTS said strip having a member extending obliquely inwardly 2,440,723 MacDonald May 4, 1948 and rearwardly to a location adapted to receive a blast 2,448,962 DArdenne Sept. 7, 1948 from an ignited rocket whereby to release the detent from 2,451,522 Uhl et al Oct. 18, 1948 rocket retaining flange engaging position, said notches 10 2,460,929 Go Feb. 8, 1949 

